This happens to me all the time, especially when I get stuck on a programming problem. It's counter-intuitive, but sometimes the best approach is to take a step

This happens to me all the time, especially when I get stuck on a programming problem. It's counter-intuitive, but sometimes the best approach is to take a step back and stop actively thinking about it. If you're more interested in this phenomenon, I recommend reading "A Mind For Numbers" by Barbara Oakley [1]. She calls it "the diffuse mode" and it's useful for spotting similarities and making connections between different concepts and ideas. This is difficult to do in "the focused mode", when you're analytically working on a problem. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-ebook/dp/B00G3L19ZU https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-Algebra-...